It is known in the sewing machine art to provide a plurality of pattern cams having pattern information thereon in order to reproduce ornamental stitching in a fabric. Such pattern cams are generally read by mechanical cam followers which are selected individually by relatively complicated mechanical mechanisms for transmitting the pattern information from the pattern cam to the various sewing instrumentalities. Other mechanisms have recently become known in the prior art for providing ornamental stitching such as the adder type mechanism shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,812,729 and the electronic memory-type system as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,872,808. There have also been other proposals for providing means to electromagnetically select individual pattern cams in accordance with a manually operable switch means such as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,312. The prior art cited in the latter mentioned U.S. patent also shows that it has been known in the art to provide electromagnetic means for cam selection of various types. In accordance with the present invention an electromagnetic cam selection means is provided wherein movement of a cam follower is initiated to a cam selection position by an adder mechanism which in turn is activated by an operator influenced manually operated electric switch means. The switch means is also operative for selecting a pattern from a pattern cam corresponding to the pattern selected by the switch means. The present invention has one advantage in that it may be incorporated into known type mechanical pattern cam machines having a single follower by adding the mechanism of the present invention, as will be understood hereinafter, without completely requiring a major conversion of the pattern mechanism of the machine. Further, as will also be apparent hereinafter, the adder mechanism of the machine is really simple in construction having relatively few moving parts which move only during pattern selection thereby eliminating the problems of wearing of parts and noise which was present in some of the prior art type adder mechanisms.